Minister Announces Six 'Signature' Projects

The First Minister, Rt Hon Peter D Robinson MLA, has announced six 'signature' projects worth £26 million to improve numeracy and literacy, offer increased family support, and to support job creation within local communities while tackling dereliction and empty units.

Over 230 graduate teachers and health workers will be engaged by these projects over the next two years. The projects tackle core issues that contribute to a range of problems including unemployment and deprivation. The projects include:

Employment of 150 recently graduated teachers, who are without permanent employment, on a two year contract to deliver one-to-one tuition in English and Maths to Year 11 and 12 post-primary school pupils who are not projected to get a “C” grade in English and/or Maths;

Employment of 80 recently graduated teachers, who are without permanent employment, on a two year contract to deliver one-to-one tuition to primary school pupils who are struggling with reading and maths at Key Stage 2;

£2 million additional support to DHSSPS for Parenting Programmes including additional health workers to support new parents. The Programme will provide support for up to 1,200 parents living in areas of deprivation and will potentially employ up to 50 additional health workers;

A pilot intervention to support young people, Not in Education, Employment or Training, (NEET) which will be rolled out to 500 families through DEL;

The establishment of ten Family Support Hubs to provide coordinated early intervention services in local areas. These will provide a range of holistic family support services;

£4 million for the creation of 10 Social Enterprise Incubation Hubs to encourage business start ups in empty or derelict clusters of units and shops to reduce unemployment in local areas of deprivation; and

The establishment of 20 new children's 'Nurture Units' in addition to the seven already being rolled out across all areas. Nurture units have already demonstrated their capacity to improve the lives and educational attainment of children by offering support, help and guidance to targeted pupils within the school environment.

The First Minister said: "Without even the most basic educational qualifications many of our young people find it a struggle to get a job and create a better life. The additional support being provided for literacy and numeracy will tackle this problem head-on and help our young people obtain the qualifications to find work. It will also provide 230 young unemployed teachers with an opportunity to get teaching experience while contributing to raising educational achievement."

(CD)